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When it comes to B.C. wine regions, the Okanagan undoubtedly is first to mind.

The area has long been celebrated for its booming wine industry, and with good reason. It’s home to more than 80 per cent of the province’s wine production and boasts a wide variety of wineries, spanning boutique spots to expansive, first-class operations.

Salut: Fraser Valley winery owners aim to change how people think about local winesBack to video

But while the Okanagan is the undisputed epicentre of B.C. wine, there are a few other hotspots popping up around the province worthy of taking note of. And one of those destinations is right in our backyard.

The Fraser Valley region — which includes pretty much everything between Vancouver and Chilliwack — has become a go-to destination for wine lovers interested in experiencing a locally crafted wine within a day trip of home. With more than 40 licensed wineries and 200 planted acres of grapes within its boundaries, the options for sipping a local vino are more plentiful than ever before.

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And insiders anticipate the number will only grow further from here.

Members of the Etsell family, owners of the Abbotsford winery Singletree.Singletree Winery/Handout

“I see the industry definitely continuing to grow as more and more people come out to the wineries and find out that the Fraser Valley is another region that produces some unique wines,” Andrew Etsell of Singletree Winery in Abbotsford says. “We’ve seen a new winery near our location, and just today we heard about a fourth winery. So there will be four wineries within a kilometre of one another in the Mount Lehman area alone.”

The growth doesn’t come as a surprise to Etsell, who has been at the helm of the family-run Singletree setup for more than 15 years.

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“We started looking at vineyards in 2003,” he explains of the 67-acre property off Mount Lehman Road in Abbotsford, where the family originally operated a turkey farm. But in 2003 the avian influenza forced the temporary closure of the family’s farm.

It was at that point when they knew it was time to diversify.

While the Etsells were adamant they wanted to remain in the farming industry, they felt it was time to branch out into other areas. And after Andrew Etsell returned to school to study horticulture at the University of the Fraser Valley, the idea to segue into grapes and wine took to seed.

“I knew grapes could grow here,” he says, pointing toward the already existing Mount Lehman Winery as further evidence to the fact (Domaine de Chaberton in South Langley was the region’s first winery, opened in 1991). “And, in 2004, I started doing more research about what grapes could grow here, on what root stock, taking soil samples and getting the fields ready for vineyards.”

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The preparation process took the Etsell family almost six years to complete. And in 2013 the company released its first vintage, and opened its winery shop in 2015.

“It wasn’t until 2010 that we were able to plant,” he explains of the delay. At first, Etsell says they planted two acres of wine grapes — but that quickly grew by another 10.

“We’re at 12 acres right now, and in about another week or two I will plant another two acres down here in the Fraser Valley,” he says. “And we also just purchased a winery up in the Okanagan as well.”

In April, the family acquired a property in Naramata, where it’s looking to further grow its Singletree Winery offering. It’s a move that will likely work to further boost the view of the region in wine circles.

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“Ten or so years ago, you didn’t see a lot of wines coming out of the Fraser Valley,” Etsell says. “Now we’re seeing wines that are of significant quality.”

But the perception of Fraser Valley wines hasn’t always been a favourable one. In fact, Etsell says it has been an uphill battle for many growers as they aim to change the way people think about — and therefore sip — their creations.

“The Fraser Valley definitely has it challenges,” he explains. “A lot of people are very surprised when they try our wines. They say, ‘Wow, I didn’t know the Fraser Valley could make wine like this.’

“We’re trying to shake the perception that there aren’t good wines or wineries in the Fraser Valley and that we’re too cold and wet to produce grapes.”

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While the Valley isn’t well-suited to grow all grape varieties, the area’s weather is best suited for growing grapes used in white wines, Etsell says. That includes Pinot Gris, Siegerrebe, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and more.

A few of Singletree Winery’s award-winning wines.Justine Russo/Handout

For Singletree, the Siegerrebe grape, which is a white grape known to grow well in cooler climates and boasts a soft acidity and aromatics reminiscent of the more well-known Gewürztraminer, is its strongest grower.

“We have a sparkling version that we just released this year, we have a still white wine and we also have a natural orange-style wine that we make out of that grape,” Etsell says of the wine grape.

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As the number of grape growers has flourished, so, too, Etsell says have the area’s growing techniques, root stocks and the general knowledge of how grapes grow and which ones grow well in the silty soil. All factors that have contributed to wines hailing from the area making it on to recommended lists — and even awards podiums.

And for Fraser Valley producers like Etsell, they look forward to further shaking up the perception of the region’s possibilities in the future, one year at a time.

“You never stop learning,” he says with a laugh. “And no season is exactly the same as the next.

“We’re constantly trying different things and seeing if it produces a better crop and a better product.”

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